Simple Mindfulness Exercises

Simple mindfulness will change the way you cope with stress. Even house cleaning can be a meditation. Meditation for beginners and meditation tips.

Mindfulness brings your attention to the present moment instead of wasting energy on what has gone or worrying about what might never happen...

Simple mindfulness exercises are an amazing tool for stress management and overall wellness. You can use them at virtually any time and they can quickly bring lasting results.

The following mindfulness exercises are simple and convenient, and can lead you to a deeper experience of mindfulness in your daily life.

Mindfulness Exercises

Meditation

Meditation has been one of the most popular and traditional ways to achieve mindfulness for centuries, so it tops the list of mindfulness exercises. Meditation becomes easier with practice, but it need not be difficult for beginners. Simply find a comfortable place, free of distractions, and quiet your mind. Read more about meditation.

Breathing Exercises

Yes: mindfulness can be as simple as breathing! One of the most simple ways to experience mindfulness, and it can be done as you go about your daily activities, is to focus on your breathing. Breathe from your tummy rather than from your chest. Focusing on the sound and rhythm of your breath, especially when you’re upset, can have a calming effect and help you stay grounded in the present moment. Go to this page for more about breathing .

Observe Your Thoughts

If you are stressed and busy, you might find it difficult to stop focusing on the rapid stream of thoughts running through your mind, and the idea of sitting in meditation and holding off the constant chatter of your thoughts can actually cause more stress! If this sounds like you, the mindfulness exercise of observing your thoughts might be for you. Rather than working against the voice in your head, you sit back and "observe" your thoughts. Don't become involved in them. As you observe them, you might find your mind quieting, and the thoughts becoming less stressful. Writing your thoughts in the form of your own persoal story is a great way of processing them and decreasing their intensity.

Cleaning House

The term "cleaning house" has a literal meaning (cleaning up your actual house) as well as a figurative one (getting rid of "emotional baggage,"), and both can be great stress relievers! To make 'house cleaning' into a simple mindfulness exercise, you first need to view it as a positive event, an exercise in self-understanding and stress relief, rather than simply as a chore. Then, as you clean, focus on what you are doing as you are doing it — and nothing else. Feel the warm, soapy water on your hands as you wash dishes; experience the vibrations of the vacuum cleaner as you sweep across floor; enjoy the smell of the laundry as you fold it; experience the freedom of letting go of unneeded objects as you put them in the charity bag. If you approach cleaning as an exercise in mindfulness, it can become one. Personally, I changed the dreaded chore of unpacking the dishwasher into a simple mindfulness meditation - I unpack each plate with gratitude for it's service to my family. I feel it's texture and size and place it carefully on the shelf. Believe it or not, unpacking the dishwasher is now a spiritual experience for me... One of many simple mindfulness exercises

Listen To Music

You can listen to music as background or you can use it as a mindfulness meditation. Listening mindfully to music has so many benefits — so many, in fact, that music is being used therapeutically in a new branch of complimentary medicine known as music therapy. You can play any music that engages you - soothing new-age music, classical music, or another type of slow-tempo music to feel calming effects. Make it an exercise in mindfulness by really focusing on the sound and vibration of each note, the feelings that the music brings up within you, and other sensations that are happening "right now" as you listen. If other thoughts creep into your head, congratulate yourself for noticing, and gently bring your attention back to the current moment and the music you are hearing.

Create Your Own

I hope you are getting the idea that virtually any activity can be a mindfulness exercise. It helps to practice meditation or another exercise that really focuses on mindfulness, but you can bring mindfulness to anything you do, and find yourself less stressed and more grounded in the process. Gardening is a great way of practising mindfulness; light a candle and focus on the dancing flame; cooking a meal - be aware of the colors and textures of the vegetables. Did you know that eating is one of the very effective simple mindfulness exercises?

You don't need to meditate for hours every day, you can practice mindfulness through daily living. Simply focusing on the present moment and quieting your inner dialogue can help you attain mindfulness. Simple mindfulness exercises can be the difference between living your life in a state of stress and panic or being calm and in control of your emotions.

MORE INFO

Living Mindfully: A Path to Wholenessby Deanna Reynolds
Mindful living is all about making conscious choices. Through a five-step process presented in this course, you will be empowered to consciously co-create new realities.... realities with a more positive, creative, and hopeful outlook and outcome. Learn more
here.